1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to sandbagging operations. More particularly, the present invention relates to an individual sandbagging accessory which allows a sandbag to be filled by a single individual and can be stowed in a compact configuration during transport.
2. General Background
During certain emergency situations, such as flooding, or during combat, sandbags are a vital component in protection against the rising water during a flood, or from incoming shells during a combat situation. In both cases, including others, fabric bags must be filled with sand, and sealed off, to arrive at the final sandbag for use. The procedure for filling a sandbag has virtually gone unchanged over many years. For example, in a typical operation for filling sandbags, usually undertaken on an emergency basis, one person is required to hold the sandbag upright, and open, and the second person is required to shovel sand through the upper opening in the bag, until the bag is filled. This procedure is both inefficient and unsafe. First, the filling operation requires two people, instead of being carried out by a single individual. Second, there is a hazard to the person holding the bag in having to avoid the blade of the shovel making contact with the persons hand during the filling operation, which could result in serious injury. Additionally, in most emergency situations, the need for manpower is critical, and requiring two people to fill a sandbag often times is a waste of manpower. Furthermore, if a person is alone, under the current state of the art, filling a sandbag would be a very difficult operation. Therefore, it would be beneficial in the art to provide an assembly which allow sandbags to be filled by a single person, would be safe to utilize, and which assembly could be easily transported.